LEVEL: 2 Language function: Vocabulary area: Grammar focus:

SUITABLE FOR: ADULTS reading comprehension, talking about the past education used to + infinitive

FREE EDUCATION A MYTH?

BEFORE YOU READ
ACTIVITY 1

STUDENT WORKSHEET

Fill in the gaps with words connected with education.

1. In most countries, there are two kinds of schools: state schools and
schools.

2. Susan has big problems with Maths we needs to hire a . to help

her.

3. - What was your favourite . at school? Geography. 4. Ingrid hopes to get really high . this year. 5. Did you wear a in your school? 6. How many A-level exams are you going to . ? 7. The spring starts in March. 8. Simon did not work hard and he two exams. 9. in exams is strictly forbidden. 10. I went to a . school, so we also slept at school.

ACTIVITY 2

The headline of the article you are about to read is QUARTER OF STATE SCHOOL PARENTS PAY FOR TUTORS. What do you think the article will say?

WHILE READING
ACTIVITY 3

Now, read the text and check if your answers in ACTIVITY 2 were right.

english-4U: SEPTEMBER 2004

Quarter of state school parents pay for tutors

(abridged) Geraldine Hackett Education Correspondent Source:The Sunday Times, 19.09.2004

PARENTS of one in four state school children are hiring private tutors to boost their exam results and get them into the best grammar schools and universities. In some secondary schools as many as 60% of pupils are being tutored at home as parents attempt to make up for shortcomings in the state education system. The figures are the result of research by the Institute of Education at London University, which found that overall 27% of pupils are being privately tutored. Separately, it is claimed that some parents are paying for five or six tutors a week at a cost of up to 8,000 a year to help their children get the grades required by elite universities. Tutors, who do not have to be qualified, can charge anything up to 50 an hour. However one, who did not want to be identified, said he had worked for a wealthy family who paid out between 200 and 250 a week on tutors for their daughter.

ACTIVITY 4

Answer the following questions:

1. Why do parents of state school children hire private tutors? . 2. What percentage of pupils study with a tutor? . 3. Who carried out the research, whose results are presented in the article? . 4. How much do private tutors charge? .

english-4U: SEPTEMBER 2004

AFTER READING

When we talk about past habits or situations which no longer exist we can use USED TO + INFINITIVE. I used to live in Brighton. means that I lived in Brighton and I do not
live there any more.

My wife used to play tennis. means that my wife played tennis

regularly in the past and she no longer does it.

DISCUSSION TIME:
ACTIVITY 5

Discuss the following questions. Use USED TO + INFINITIVE whenever you can.

?? Did you use to have any private tutors? ?? Was your school strict or not? ?? How many hours did you use to spend at school every day? ?? Did you use to do a lot of homework? ?? Did you have to wear uniforms in your school? ?? Was it popular among your friends to go to extra classes after school? ?? Who were your favourite teachers? Why? ?? Did you hate any subjects? Why did you hate them? ?? Did your teachers let you call them by their first name? ?? Did you and your schoolmates use to cheat during tests and exams?

english-4U: SEPTEMBER 2004